Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 19 · 2026-09-05
IELTS Writing Task 2 question
Some people think that competition at work, at school and in daily life is a good thing. Others believe that we should try to cooperate more, rather than competing against each other.
Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Student answer (Band 5.5)
There is a considerable debate about competition at work, at school and in daily life. While some argue that it is a good thing, others believe they should try to cooperate more.
Those who support in cooperating believe is a good thing rather than competing with each other. Competing with each other can create unnecessary conflicts in daily life. People at work and school can get involved in unhealthy competition by competing with each other. If people work with collaboration can achieve more and task could finish more easily. If students study and help each other in their weak subjects, they can improve more and get better results. If people keep competing they might get stuck at some point of task.
On the other hand, people who support competing believe it is a good thing. People with competing mindset can achieve goals and become successful in life. Competition with each other can help people to stay motivated and push them forward every time. For example two of the greatest football player Messi and Ronaldo helped each other to reach their goals. They competed with each other which helped them to focus on their games. If it wasn't for competition then they might not have gained so much in their carrier.
In my view, healthy competition is most needed for ones growth. If their is healthy competition in school, students might get motivated to give their 110%. If their is worthy and good competition at work or in daily life people can stay focused to reach their goal.
In conclusion, healthy competition is good thing for ones growth and can inspire people to achieve more in their life while unnecessary competition can hinder peoples growth.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.0 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses all parts of the prompt, discussing both competition and cooperation before providing a clear personal opinion. The ideas are relevant, such as the mention of Messi and Ronaldo to illustrate the benefits of competition. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the argument for cooperation is brief and relies on simple examples like students helping each other. To reach a higher band, you should expand on your points with more detailed explanations or broader real-world implications. The position is consistent throughout, but the depth of analysis remains at a basic level.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, each with a clear focus. There is a basic progression of ideas from the introduction to the conclusion. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat repetitive and mechanical. Phrases like 'If people...' and 'If there is...' are used frequently to connect ideas, which makes the flow feel a bit predictable. Additionally, some transitions between sentences could be smoother to better link the arguments. While the paragraphing is appropriate, the overall cohesion lacks the flexibility and variety expected at higher bands.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.0
The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks the range and precision required for a higher score. You rely on common words like 'good thing', 'achieve', and 'help', which are repeated throughout the text. There are also some minor collocation errors, such as 'carrier' instead of 'career' and 'support in cooperating' instead of 'support for cooperation'. To improve, try to incorporate more sophisticated synonyms and topic-specific collocations to demonstrate a wider lexical range and better control over word choice.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally distract the reader. Examples include 'If people work with collaboration can achieve' (missing subject), 'If their is healthy competition' (confusing 'their' with 'there'), and 'two of the greatest football player' (missing pluralization). While these errors do not impede communication, they are persistent throughout the text. Increasing the variety of complex structures while ensuring subject-verb agreement and correct article usage will help improve your score in this criterion.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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